The Portland daily press., 1887-02-14

DowN-EAsT sTEAMRoATlNc.
Winter Navigation Of the ST. croIx
River.

| when the staunch State of Maine, careening
under the influence of piping northwest
wind, which flung the foam over her decks,
| and caused every oyer-venturesome passen-
ger to take refuge within the comfortable so
looms, rounded the northemmost extremity
of the big island If Campobello and headed
for Eastport. As she drew pear, Eastport,
never place Of very attractive appearance,
looked doubly desolate with the traces of
the recent conflagration only partially con-
cealed by the drifting SHOWS. Among the
| blaekened timbers and crumbled walls rose
a curious assemblage of newly constructed
buildings aud buildings in the process of
erection, all of various degrees of architectu-
raj perfection, according to the means Of the
| owner Most of them, however were of a
| temporary nature, small and implanted and
seemingly placed haphazard along the
| streets, and back of all was the residential
portion of the town with its houses, its bare
elmstrees and the church steerles towering
toward the cold sky
AS the steamer swung alonside her wharf
improved the opportunity to go ashore and
hearing that the Calais boat would not leave
| for an hour or so, took occasion to look over
the place. Business was apparently brisk,
numerous sleighs drove back and forth, men
| hustled abotit and the sound of saw and
hammer was to be hesfd on every
hand. Some of the sights were queer
enough; little seyen-by-nine shanty,
entirely innocent of paint sported the
| legend in letters which almost covered
its side, Jewellers Hall" while another in
which a tall person could hardly stand erect
was known as the Grocery, boot and shoe,
and dry goods emporium" Diminutive
mushroom stores had sprungup everywhere.
The work of repairing the wharyes was be-
ing actively prosecuted, and better exam
Pile of Yankee spunk under misfortune could
hardly be found. Like the tabled Phoenix,
Eastport is arising from her ashes better
than ever before.
The cold and penetrating WITH. however.
forbade very extended tour, and soon
found myself aboard the boat again. BY
this time a huge ungainly barge had been
made fast to the steamer, and into this
freight was being discharged in leisurely
way Beyond this lay painting tugboat. This
| was informed, was the craft in which I,
together with several other unfortunates,
was to be conveyed to Calais, thirty miles up
the river. My incipient dream of a fast
steamer with luxurious cabins and every mod
ern convenience was dissipated in a breath.
clambered over an accumulation of boxes
and barrels, stumbled through the dim
depths of the hold Of the barge, and down
an recovered ladder on to the slippery
decks of the tug. She was just like every
other tugboat, and the accommodations for
| thespassenger were slender in the extreme,
He could sit on deck and enjoy the landscape
| cooled down to temperature very near the
zero point, and carressed by gentle breeze
that seemed capable Of carrying person
bodily away; he could occupy the pilot
house, the engine room, or stuffy little
cabin in the rear, the air of which had evil
IDENTIFY not been renewed that winter, and
which was small enough to defy COMPETE
ton | took seat in the engine room and
asked the engineer, who was pulling away
at pipe Of large and varied experience,
what Echance there was for dinner. Din
nervV exclaimed he. "Dinnerl we'll | guess
all the dinner you'll get aboard here is a
toothpick and salt water. Amt that about
so, Bill? BILL" the fireman, grinned and
reckoned that it was.
oCIdulUltu dDodIu lDc OIabb OF Maine IN a
hurry, rushed into the dining room and alb
sorbed enough substantial nourishment to
last Tor the next forty-eight hours. The eyes
OF the walters expressed mild astonish-
ment, but the country was saved.
Then once more sought the engineers
sanctum and waited for the boat to start
Hour after hour slipped by, but no signs of
departure swere manifested. An animated
discussion between two of the boats crew,
in the course of which epithets of strong
no f1rn x.rskl ks,~A
slight diversion. After while a couple OF
ladies appeared, and by superhuman exer-
tons were lowered, h0isted and showed on
board They were accorded seats in the
pilot house, as was another male passenger
commercial traveller, who gripsack in hand,
was precipitated down the side of the barge,
and rumpled and breathess sat down beside
me. Then there was a commotOn on the
wharf and three men appeared on the deck
OF the barge, Two were in their normal
condition, but the third had been inbibing
intoxicants to such an extent that he was en-
tlrely helpless, and could only feebly gestic-
ulate and give vent to stream of oaths and
Darroom vernacular in a voice husky
and thickened with alcohol. After an
exciting struggle, during which only the
best good fortune prevented the inebriate
from taking bath in Passamaquoddy bay,
he was got into the after-cabin and deposited
in one of the berths, whence he proceeded to
enliven society on board the Henry Well
At last, after several false starts and pre-
hmlnary footing on the whistle, the tug was
connected with the barge by means of a long
hawser, the moorings were cast off, the gong
rang TO go ahead, and the journey fairly be-
gan. The speed attained was nothing alarm
Ing for the heavy barge towing behind and
the strong head wind prevailing, which sent
both vessels pitching over the swells in an
anything but comfortable style, checked any
undue fast pace.
All was uneyentful until we reached a
point several miles up the bay, when one of
the lashings Of the "bunter," species of
fender composed of Melted rope placed over
the bow Of the steamer, parted. The deck
hands endeavored to secure it, but were I'M
able to do so on account Of the high sea run
ming Then the pilot, rather than lose it,
put about. In moment the tug was in the
trough of the sea and rolling like thing
possessed. Creak, creak, first one rail and
then the other went under water, and all
hands seized hold of the rail to steady them
selves. The small boat on the deck house shift
ed and came near going overheard and the
smokestack rocked threateningly' However
the 'Dunter was rescued from watery
grave, Again the turn around process was
gone through with, and again we were all in
momentary expectation of having to swim a
couple OF miles to land, but some good angel
protected us, and the tedious journey was
renewed without harm,
By this time the sun had set behind the
black forest belt which borders the st. Croix
and the moon, then in its first quarter, shed
its beams upon the gloomy current The riv-
er had sensibly narrowed and the rapidly eb-
bling tide made our progress still slower. All
was silent as the tomb, nothing but the lap
of the water around the boat and the pulsat-
ing strokes of the engine being audible
In the tiny room the time passed with
leaden footsteps. Every subject of CONVEX
sation was exhausted, every old chestnut an
ecdote had been related and we had all re-
lapsed into silence.
After while Robbinstown, small village
was reached and here landing was made
This stop ushered in new excitement. The
inebriate in the cabin revived sufficiently to
imagine himself John l.. Sullivan, and waxed
"obstropulous" to degree. The man who
had been keeping an eye on him during the
RIP, went ashore here, and his royal high
ness began to play high jinks with ven
geance. First he wanted to climb up into
the pilot house, which feat, owing to his
physical condition, was impossible for him
to perform. Then to go up to the village and
get another drink was his idea; this was out
of the question. The next freak was to stick
bisIhead through an aperture in the partition
into the machinery. Finally he was fastened
in when horrible noise of crashing glass
and rafting of chains and baggage arose |
went out to ascertain the cause, when, as
luck would have it, just as | got to the door
it burst open and the fellow tumbled into my
arms. The unexpected shock knocked me
over backward and l balanced on the rail
undecided whether to take an imprOmptu